CHAMPAIGN — Ohio State coach Chris Holtmann didn’t have a long-term relationship with E.J. Liddell like Illinois did in assistant coach Jamall Walker. The Buckeyes also couldn’t boast a close-to-home option with several of his friends or former teammates on the roster like Missouri and its slew of St. Louis-area players.
But that didn’t stop Ohio State from emerging as a leader during Liddell’s recruitment, and it didn’t stop the four-star forward from committing to the Buckeyes on Monday night.
Liddell, who chose Ohio State out of a top three that also included the Illini and Tigers, is Holtmann’s third commit in the 2019 class and bumps the Buckeyes into the top four nationally behind Southern California, Louisville and Kentucky.